The launch of 50 Cent’s G-Unit Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana made Tyler Perry a trending topic on Friday (April 19). 50 Cent was called the “male Tyler Perry” in posts racking up millions of views on X (formerly known as Twitter).

50 Cent leased Shreveport’s city-owned Millennium Studios for 30 years with a 15-year option. The location officially became the home of his G-Unit Studios with non-scripted projects scheduled to start production at the facility in July.

Shreveport celebrated the studio’s launch by declaring Thursday (April 18) as Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson Day. The diamond-selling rapper vowed to make an impact in the city.

“Bringing G-Unit Studios to Shreveport is more than just a business decision,” he said at a press conference. “It’s a commitment to fostering talent, to creating opportunities and to investing in the community itself to build what I would need to be able to execute what I’ve got going on with G-Unit Studios. It’s gonna create a lot of jobs.”

He added, “Through the expansion of G-Unit in Shreveport, my aim is to embody the spirit of conscious capitalism to focus on creating jobs, stimulating commerce and contributing to the economic growth of this vibrant community. I envision [making] Shreveport a beacon of the entertainment industry.”

Perry was the butt of jokes on social media, but 50 Cent cited Atlanta’s Tyler Perry Studios as an example of what G-Unit Studios can do for Shreveport.

“You seen some of the good things Tyler Perry’s done in Atlanta,” 50 Cent said. “And you’ll see this mirror that to a degree.”

Shreveport leased Millennium Studios to 50 Cent for $2,400 annually. While it may seem like a paltry amount for the city on the surface, Shreveport will be saving $180,000 per year thanks to the deal.